Are nurses white collar or blue collar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LPN blue collar, RN white collar

The Penn poster got me thinking...I think the "problem" (not that it's really a problem but) is that an RN encompasses a very widddeee range of education levels. You can have an RN that has an associate degree from Bob's Trade School, or an RN that has their bachelor's from Penn or Columbia. I mean granted they're not probably not doing the same job (I don't know much about the nursing field) but it's not like say, a lawyer, where every lawyer has the exact same amount of education, or say, an investment banker, where you can be reasonably certain that they have a strong educational "pedigree" or are otherwise brilliant.

Doctors can graduate from Harvard or Middle Tennessee State U. A lawyer could graduate from Yale or from Bob Jones U and pass the same bar.

True, but all doctors have to complete the same (number-wise) four years of undergrad, four years of medical school, however many years for their specialty, residency, etc...

Same with lawyers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LPN blue collar, RN white collar

The Penn poster got me thinking...I think the "problem" (not that it's really a problem but) is that an RN encompasses a very widddeee range of education levels. You can have an RN that has an associate degree from Bob's Trade School, or an RN that has their bachelor's from Penn or Columbia. I mean granted they're not probably not doing the same job (I don't know much about the nursing field) but it's not like say, a lawyer, where every lawyer has the exact same amount of education, or say, an investment banker, where you can be reasonably certain that they have a strong educational "pedigree" or are otherwise brilliant.

Doctors can graduate from Harvard or Middle Tennessee State U. A lawyer could graduate from Yale or from Bob Jones U and pass the same bar.

True, but all doctors have to complete the same (number-wise) four years of undergrad, four years of medical school, however many years for their specialty, residency, etc...

Yes, I understand this line of thinking but nurses be they BSN or ASN educated are all tested on the same material. Those extra courses are more management, community health etc slanted in a BSN. Besides, really the first year of nursing is where the real education comes in. I would take a community college experienced nurse over a brand new yale educated one for the care of myself or my family anyday! Another thing is pass rates for the licensing exam- a local community college has a waaaay better NCLEX pass rate and reputation than a local BSN program. You can't always take it at face value that just because it's community college it's poor education or 'lesser than' a BSN program.

[Anonymous]

Who the F cares?!

If I am in a hospital, I want to be seen by good nurses. I could care less about their collar color.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who the F cares?!

If I am in a hospital, I want to be seen by good nurses. I could care less about their collar color.

+1000

Thank you for your voice of reason.

[Anonymous]

White collar. They have to get at least a college nursing degree and they have to know a poor medical facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:White collar. They have to get at least a college nursing degree and they have to know a poor medical facts.

No, you can become an RN through a hospital's diploma program (no degree) or though a community college program (2 year associate degree).

[Anonymous]

Only half of nurses have a bachelor's or higher degree:

According to the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration, 13.9 percent of RNs have a hospital-based diploma, 36.1 percent have an associate's degree, and 50 percent hold a bachelor's or graduate degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RNs are to physicians what lab technicians are to scientists.

Care to explain?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems like a lot of nurses are married to cops, another white collar/blue collar hybrid.

My circle of friends find that firefighters and police officers seem to marry teachers and nurses. I'm an rn, dh is an officer. BFF is a teacher, her dh is a ff. We know lots of couples like this

They are all careers that value contribution to society over personal wealth or prestige. Makes sense that people with these values would attract partners with the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RNs are to physicians what lab technicians are to scientists.

+2

Doctors are nothing without nurses.

[Anonymous]

I'd say the lab technician and the nurse is pretty comparable. Many are not college graduates but an increasing number are. And both have a professional type skill but are subordinate to the "higher" professional.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. Wikipedia link upthread called them pink collar, but this Wikipedia entry says they are gray collar. Raise your hand if you knew "gray collar" was a thing.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey-collar

[Anonymous]

And wow, "collar" is one of those words that if you look at it too often, it definitely looks like it's spelled wrong.

[Anonymous]

Ah, DCUM and it's love of ranking and status. Stay classy, DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say the lab technician and the nurse is pretty comparable. Many are not college graduates but an increasing number are. And both have a professional type skill but are subordinate to the "higher" professional.

That is a very antiquated view of nurses. The field has and is changing, thankfully for the better in terms of more respect for the work nurses do.